Presser-foot-controlling device



March 18 1924.

F. F. WITKUS PRssmR EooT 'coNTRoLLxNG' DEVICE Filed June 2, 1.923

Patented Mar. 18, 1924.

UmTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANK F. wITKUs, or NEWPORT, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

PRESSER-FOOTsCONTROLLING :DEVICE.

Application filed .Tune 2,

yan Improvement in Presser-Foot-Controlj ling Devices, of which' the following isa specification.y

This invention relates to means :fory so j, an enlargedscale, showing the locking mechanism 1n different positions.

supporting the presser foot, or wheel,gof-a sewing machine that it may be swung laterally. from its normal position adjacent, to the needle, after it has been lifted out of contact with the work, tov a laterally'removed position, in which it will be out of the way of the operator when it' becomes necessary to thread or change the needle, or to rmake other adjustments which would be interfered with by the presser foot or wheel, if in normal position.

In my pendingapplications, Serial Numbers 581,118 to 581,121, I have shown various means whereby the presser foot will be Vautomatically moved to' a lateral position when the presser bar is lifted to a certain point, and thepresent invention more particularly relates to a specific means'for performing this function','which possesses certain advantages over the constructions disclosed in said applications. Y

The objects ofmy Vpresent invention are to provide a simple and effective means for positively locking an upwardly swinging presser-wheel-carrying arm in normal posi# tion, so that it can not be moved from this position by lateral pressure thereagainst, but which may be unlocked and swung upward from thenormal position to a laterally removed position by operating the treadle, or other means, for lifting the presser bar, and, further, to provide means whereby the presser wheel may be locked in a laterally removed position by manually raising the `wheel-carrying-arm beyond the point to which it may be raised by the treadle, so that it will be retained in this position, but may be unlocked andreturned to normal position by a further` depression of the treadle.

1 accomplished these objects in the matspring 12.is interposed between the head 4 1923. semi No. 642,977.

ter hereinafter described and shown in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is side elevation of a .presser foot. Vmechanism containing an embodiment of my invention. j j

Fig. 2 is front elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation showing the presser wheelV in its raised positions.

Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 aredetailed views, on

B0 Asmyinvention i's applicable to almost any well known type "ofj sewing machine, only those parts areshown ,which directly cooperate with'thejpart's to which my invention relates.A Y' y As shownin the drawings, the needle bar casing 1 is shown as provided with the usual vertically movable presser bar 2, which is downwardly spring pressed and is adapted l to be lifted either by a hand lever, or by a foot, or legoperated lever beneath the machine table, said lever usually being connected to the presserbar through a chain, or similar means, by means ofA a collar 3, j directly attached tothe bar. A head or '75 block 4 is clamped on thelower end of the presser bar, and themean's for supporting the presserV wheel. 5-is ,connected thereto, said means comprising arod 6, to one end o f which theshaft is attached, and on which B0 the wheel. is rotatably mounted, the opposite portion kof `said rod being adjustably secured in the socket of an-armf? ,which is mounted for swingingmovement about ay horizontal axis between bearing screws 8, `815 threaded in-lugson lthe head 4. A lever 10, having right angularly disposed arms 10a,

. 10b, Vis mounted ona pivot 11`to; swing about a horizontal axis .within the head 4, and a and the arm 110% in position to, swing the arm 10b upwardly.' .The arm 107 of said lever is provided with a face 14, atits extreme end., and vwith a Vshoulder 15 on its upper side, closely adjacent to said end. The arm 7 isprovided with a pair of fingers 16 and 17, which `project therefrom at the opposite side of its pivot from the portion thereto which supports the presser wheel, said finger 16 having a face at its end so arranged that, when the presser Wheel is in its normal position, it will be in abutment with the face 14 on the end of the arm 10". The 4arrangement of said faces with relation Vto eacli'other and to the 'pivot 11 is such that, when said faces are in abutment, the thrust of the face of the arm 16 on the face 14 will be in a line which will intersect the center of pivot 11, so that the arm 7 will be positively locked innormal position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. A rod 18 is mounted in the head 4 to slide vertically therein, the lower end of said rod resting on the horizontally disposed arm 10b 'of the lever 10.

Vhen the parts are in the position of. Fig. 4 and the means for lifting the presser bar are operated, the presser wheel will,` be lifted from the work 'sufliciently to permit the position of the work to be shifted. On further liftingmovement the rod 18 will be engaged with theunderside of the casing and forced downward, thereby causing the arm 10b to be swung downward against the Vupper side of the linger 17, and out of engagement with the end ofthe finger 16. Continued downward pressure on the finger 17 causes the saine to be swung'do'wnward and the arm 7 to be swung upwardly, and this movement may be continued until the arm is raised to the full line position of Fig. 3, the relative positions of the finger 17 and lever arm 10", at the end of said upward movement, being 4shown in'Fig.' 7. If pressure on the lifting Vto the dotted line position ofFig. 3. In

moving the parts to this position, the end face Vof linger 16 will pass the shoulder 15, soV that the upper side of the said linger will engage said shoulder, as shown in Fig. 6, 'and thus lock the arm 7 positively against return movement. TVhen it isdesired to lower the presser wheel again, the presser Vbariis again lifted to its fullest extent, causing the arm 10b to be depressed` until theshoulder 15 is disengaged from the end ofthe finger 16. rI`he arm 7 will then be permitted to swing downward slightly by gravity, so that the finger 16 will be carried past the shoulder 15, to the position of Fig. 7, then, when pressure on the lifting means is removed,

the wheel will be free to swing downwardly and to return to its normal position.

I claim 1. In a machine of the character described, a vertically movable support, a presser-footcarrying arm pivotally mounted on said support and arranged to be swung upwardly to carry the Vfoot from its normal to a laterally removed position, a locking lever arranged to lock said arm against swinging movement when in normal position, and means arranged to move said lever, when said support is lifted, to unlock said arm and swing the same upwardly.

2. In a machine of the character described, ya vertically movable support, `a presser-footcarrying arm pivotally mounted on said support and arranged to be swung upwardly to carry the foot fromits normal to a laterally removed position, a projection on saidy arm having an abutting face, a lockinglever hai7- ing a face arranged to engage said abutting face to lock said arm in normal position, means arranged to move said lever, upon lifting movement of said support, to disengage said faces and unlock said arm, and to engage saidV arm and swing it upwardly from said position.

3. In a machine of the character described, p

a vertically movable support, a presser-footto engage said arm at one point to lock the same against movementfrom normal position, yand' to be moved to unlock the same and iengage it at another point to swingit upwardly from said position when said support is lifted, and means on said lever art VVranged to be engaged by said arm when manually lifted above the point to which it Vmay be raised by said lever to lock said arm in a raised position.

4. In a machine of the character described, a vertically movable support, a presser-footoarrying arm Vpivotally mounted on said support and arranged to be swung upwardly to carry the foot from its normal to a laterally removed position, a locking lever arranged to engage said arm to lock the same against movement from normal position, and 'to be moved to unlock the same and swing it upwardly from said position when said support is lifted, an abutment on said lever arranged to be engaged by saidV arm when manually lifted to extreme `position to Vlock the same in such position, and to be disengaged on depression of the lever to 'unlock the arm and permit its return to ynormal position.

5. In aA machine of the character described, a vertically movable support having a presser foot mounted therein, and arranged for lateral upward movement from its normeans whereby said foot may be manually mal position, means for positively locking raised above said laterally removed position, said foot automatically when it is moved and means for automatically locking the 10 into said position, means for unlocking the foot in such position when raised thereto.

5 foot and moving it laterally upward to a In testimony whereof, I have signed my laterally removed position when said supname to this specification. port is raised to a predetermined extent, FRANK F. WITKUS. 

